Former Cat Stevens Barred From Entering U.S.
Plane Diverted When Muslim Convert's Name Found on Watch List
By LESLIE MILLER, AP

AP
Yusuf Islam, formerly Cat Stevens

WASHINGTON (Sept. 22) - A London-to-Washington flight was diverted to Maine when it was discovered that passenger Yusuf Islam - formerly known as singer Cat Stevens - was on a government watch list and barred from entering the country.

United Airlines Flight 919 was en route to Dulles International Airport when the match was made Tuesday between a passenger and a name on the watch list, said Nico Melendez, a spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration.

The plane was met by federal agents at Maine's Bangor International Airport around 3 p.m., Melendez said.

"He was interviewed and denied admission to the United States on national security grounds."
-Dennis Murphy, Homeland Security Department spokesman

Homeland Security Department spokesman Dennis Murphy identified the passenger as Islam. ''He was interviewed and denied admission to the United States on national security grounds,'' Murphy said.

He said Islam would be put on the first available flight out of the country Wednesday.

Officials had no details about why the peace activist might be considered a risk to the United States. Islam had visited New York in May for a charity event and to promote a DVD of his 1976 MajiKat tour.

One official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Islam, 56, was identified by the Advanced Passenger Information System, which requires airlines to send passenger information to Customs and Border Protection's National Targeting Center. The Transportation Security Administration then was contacted and requested that the plane land at the nearest airport, that official said.

Melendez said Islam was questioned by FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

Another federal official, who is in law enforcement and spoke anonymously because of agency policy, said that after the interview, Customs officials decided to deny Islam entry into the United States.

Flight 919 continued on to Dulles after Islam was removed from the flight.

Islam, who was born Stephen Georgiou, took Cat Stevens as a stage name and had a string of hits in the 1960s and '70s, including ''Wild World'' and ''Morning Has Broken.'' Last year he released two songs, including a re-recording of his '70s hit ''Peace Train,'' to express his opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

He abandoned his music career in the late 1970s and changed his name after being persuaded by orthodox Muslim teachers that his lifestyle was forbidden by Islamic law. He later became a teacher and an advocate for his religion, founding a Muslim school in London in 1983.

Islam founded Islamia Primary school in London in 1983. In 1998, it became the first Muslim school in Britain to receive government support, on the same basis as Christian and other sectarian schools.

A statement posted on a fan-supported Web site where his music is promoted said Islam being on a watch list ''is certainly an error.''

''It's also a very sad state of affairs when a man best known as a peace loving pop star can be grouped into the same category Osama Bin Laden just because of his chosen faith,'' the statement said.

Islam drew some negative attention in the late 1980s when he supported the Ayatollah Khomeini's death sentence against Salman Rushdie, author of ''The Satanic Verses.'' Recently, though, Islam has criticized terrorist acts, including the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the school seizure in Beslan, Russia, earlier this month that left more than 300 dead, nearly half of them children.

In a statement on his Web site, he wrote, ''Crimes against innocent bystanders taken hostage in any circumstance have no foundation whatsoever in the life of Islam and the model example of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.''

After the Sept. 11 attacks, Islam issued a statement saying: ''No right thinking follower of Islam could possibly condone such an action: The Quran equates the murder of one innocent person with the murder of the whole of humanity.''

AP-NY-09-22-04 0439EDT

Cats in the cradle and a silver spoon...

Welcome to Fascist America. Enjoy your flight.

This is the last person I'd expect to be a national threat.

Seems to be a blanketing of the Muslim issue.

He's always been about peace and his opinions were done with intelligence, not violence.

The situation could have been handled so much better, and I'd be very shocked if he was any real serious threat.

Sounds like it's more about him not agreeing with U.S. policy, but he shouldn't be thrown out unless a real tangible threat was posed.

We know of his history a little more than other red flags that might pop up with security.

Strange and sad to me, but I was raised with Cat Stevens records around.



(I wouldn't be surprised if they move this to Politics and Religion)

subhuman09 said:

I agree. I LOVE Cat Stevens. This might sound a bit stupid, but I've always thought that Yusuf Islam would be a great guest for the Oprah show. I would love to see that interview.

I think one line in that article says it all.

He said Islam would be put on the first available flight out of the country

I know what they meant, but there is a kindo of irony to the that statement.

Isel said:[quote]

subhuman09 said:

The man has great insights.

Are people going to agree with everything he says? Of course not, but he isn't violent.

He'd be good on there actually, something that's higher profile.

I think NBC or ABC or someone ran an interview with him after he changed his name and it was really well done.

He even played Peace Train.

Isel said:

Sounds like a real great guy.

I don't think you can ban someone from a country just because of his religion .
BUT the more i read about the islam , the more i'm opposed to it .

I'll try to explain

The prophet Mohamed was a pedophile.
He married his wife Aisha when she was 6 years old and had sex with her when she was 9 .
The Koran tell stories about killings and rapes in which the prophet participated .
The Koran says it's ok for a Muslim to beat his wife .
The Koran says a baby boy is worth twice as much as a girl .
The Koran says a Muslim should fight and produce as many offspring as possible in order
to make the whole world Muslim .

Does this sound like a prophet one should worship ?


Check this site , look under ''articles'', then "what quran teaches"

http://faithfreedom.org

lovemachine said:

I saw an interview on VH1(I think?) where he said that he regretted that comment. In fact, Islam said that he really didn't fully understand the Qu'ran when he made the comment because he was interpreting the relevant passages too literally. At the time Islam was still in the "process" of converting and an extreme fundamentalist. Obviously, Islam's spiritually beliefs have evolved since the statement was made nearly 20 years ago.
[Edited 9/22/04 10:18am]

Dewrede said:

just quoting myself again

Maybe this was not the right place for my comments on the islam so i took it to "politics and religion"
[Edited 9/22/04 8:21am]

Dewrede said:

So just like the bible it contridicts itselfs. There is a line in the Quaran that reads something like "A woman should not be hit, even with a flower". So don't read too much into it.

Check the link and read it for yourself , man ,this is common knowledge , even imams say this
[Edited 9/22/04 9:02am]

Btw. weren't the other things i mentioned shocking (enough)

Luv4oneanotha said:

that was harry Chapin not Cat Stevens...

Cat Stevens is an idiot IMHO!! I can't stand him and I've never been able to stand him even when he was Cat Stevens. He gives me the absolute creeps. He looks like that freak that kidnapped Elizabeth Smart. I do agree that no one should be banned from a country because of their religion, but I do think that Americans must be more careful. I wish us Canadians were more careful about who we let into our country, but unfortunately our doors are wide open for any freak that wants to come here. Canada is loaded with extremists and terrorist, I can guarantee that!!

TheRealFiness said:

Oh i know lol

i found that out 2 years ago

but cat stevens still reminds me of the song lol